New York’s waterfront[5] tours are shifting focus as a result of Hurricane Sandy’s impact on the island’s infrastructure. In a nautical speaker series titled “Pressure Along The Edge: The Future of NYC’s Waterfront”, experts will educate passengers on the city’s coastlines and the impact of rising sea levels[6] on real estate, infrastructure and businesses. In addition to featuring some of New York City’s most popular buildings, the tours will also look at the competing demands on the city’s waterfront — much of which became flooded during the superstorm.

“It’s always been one of the major themes of our tour — how City Planning is attempting to address rising sea levels, how to allow development but mitigate against storm surge, and how to also encourage more ecologically driven planning,” said Arthur Platt, an architect and guide on the boat tours, to DNAInfo[8].

The tour will run on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, including Friday mornings, and will cover 32 miles of waterfront for nearly three hours. The Sandy-focused guide — set on a 1920s-style luxury yacht — will be offered as a separate tour along with the regular architecture tour.